by Terhea Doaty
For New Pittsburgh Courier

My younger sister, Taylor Doaty, a senior at Oakland Catholic High School, won’t be walking across the stage with her graduating class on Friday. Although the seniors of Oakland Catholic will participate in the commencement ceremony for their high school careers, she will be in Shippensburg, Pa., for the PIAA state track meet.

Taylor Doaty

Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac, gangsta whitewalls, TV antenna in the back. You may not have a car at all, but remember brothers and sisters, you can still stand tall. Just be thankful for what you got. Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin’ the scene with a gangsta lean. (William Devaughn, 1974).

I met a few friends for dinner a little while back and the first thing they wanted to discuss was the current state of the Pittsburgh Pirates. One buddy, who demanded that he remain anonymous, said through a mouthful of steak, “Man, I would rather run through hell wearing gasoline “draws” than waste my time going over to PNC Park to see those sad ass Pirates play.” This was one day I did not feel like joining the crowd in stepping on a man’s neck or in this case, a team’s neck when they were down.

In August 2009, the Pennsylvania track and field community lost Norm Crawford. Last week, it was his fellow officiating icon, Len Johnson.

Johnson, 67, of sewickley, died May 16 at The Good Samaritan Hospice House in Wexford. He started officiating after graduating from Michigan State University while living and working in Michigan and Illinois in computer sales and service for companies such as Hewlett Packard and IBM before moving back to western Pennsylvania.

PIAA TRACK LEGENDS—Leonard Johnson, left, is shown with Norm Crawford, who died last summer.

On a soggy Sunday afternoon in May, Pittsburgh residents gathered at the Westin Convention Center Hotel Downtown to attend the third annual New Pittsburgh Courier All-City Awards Luncheon, honoring the best players and coaches in football and basketball.

GIVING SUPPORT—Judge Dwayne Woodruff with wife Joy.

The luncheon, which was re-established in 2008 at the behest of Assistant to the Publisher Stephan Broadus, honored inner-city high school athletes and their coaches for outstanding performances in football and basketball. Courier Managing Editor, Ulish Carter, Advertising Manager Eric Gaines, and Editor and Publisher, Rod Doss, joined Broadus to hand out trophies and medals; Gaines also gave the invocation.